1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to actuators, methods for manufacturing actuators, droplet ejection devices, droplet ejection heads and printers having the droplet ejection heads.
2. Related Art
As droplet ejection heads for discharging liquid, inkjet heads that may be mounted, for example, on an ink jet recording apparatus are known. Inkjet heads may use an ink jetting method in which pressure chambers communicating with nozzle apertures are pressurized by piezoelectric elements thereby ejecting ink droplets through the nozzle apertures. As the piezoelectric elements, laminate type piezoelectric elements formed from alternately laminated piezoelectric layers and electrode layers are known. Piezoelectric material such as lead titanate zirconate is used for such piezoelectric elements. In recent years, the influences of lead that would impact the natural environment have become concerns, and therefore studies have been conducted to reduce the use of lead.